Week 2 Training Plan, 8/29-9/4

The first week of practice was a good one, it's on to Week 2. This week features the start of school of course. Once school starts we plan on getting in to the regular routine of practice starting at 3:30 in the afternoon. That being said, based on the current weather forecast practice on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday will be in the morning.

The pattern of this week's practices is overall similar to last week with a maximum of six runs that includes three shorter runs, two medium runs, and a long run. One of the two medium length runs, on Monday, will also include a series of timed pickups.

If you haven't already please hand in your summer training log (optional for new athletes, required for returning athletes) by the first day of school (Thursday) at the latest. Rewards will be distributed once the coaching staff has tabulated the logs, hopefully at the beginning of next week. If you're an 11th or 12th grader with at least one year of prior experience and would be interested in being a captain of the team, please contact me via e-mail or in person to declare your interest. The prerequisites for being captain are described at the bottom of page 6 of the team policies and FAQ document.

Finally, there will be an optional day trip to Western Massachusetts on Saturday. We'll be taking one of the school's booster buses leaving at 7:30 AM and returning around 5:30 PM with a full day of running and other activities planned. If you're interested let the coaches know. There's room for 14 people on the booster bus. Please let me know if you're interested in coming along.

With all that out of the way, here's the plan:

• Mon 8/29 - Practice 6:45 AM at the High School. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a medium length run that will incorporate timed pickups of 1 minute in length, at a "race pace" (90%) effort. In between the race pace pickups is a recovery of 1 minute, ideally run at a 60% effort (this is not a slow jog). This will be followed by a few pickups of 30 seconds in length at a speed faster than race pace, with the same 1 minute recovery. Level 1 athletes may find it more realistic to walk the first 30 seconds of each recovery interval. Everyone will begin and end their run today with a warmup and cooldown that are at an easy pace, with the timed pickups sandwiched in between. Time for today's run is as follows, with number of pickups indicated as well:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes: 4x 1 minute pickups, 4x30 second pickups (warmup and cooldown 5-6 minutes each)
Level 2: 34-38 minutes: 6x 1 minute pickups, 4x30 second pickups (warmup and cooldown 8-10 minutes each)
Level 3: 43-47 minutes: 8x 1 minute pickups, 6x30 second pickups (warmup and cooldown 10 minutes each)
Level 4: 52-56 minutes: 8x 1 minute pickups, 6x30 second pickups (warmup and cooldown 12-15 minutes each)

• Tue 8/30 - Practice 6:45 AM at the Town Beach. Warmup followed by a short, easy active recovery run. Up to half the run can be done in the lake in the form of aquajogging. We also hope to have multiple elliptigo bikes available for use.

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-32 minutes
Level 4: 38-42 minutes

• Wed 8/31 - Practice 6:45 AM at the Town Beach. Warmup including BURPEES, then a cyclic long run (CLR). The total time of your run will be broken down into 12 equal segments. The first segment is run at an easy (40% or so) effort. The next is run at a "fresh" (60-65% or so) effort, and the one after that at a "good" (80-85%) effort. Then this easy-fresh-good cycle is repeated three more times. The countdown timer function on your watch is a good way to keep track of these time segments. Total length of the run as follows:

Level 1: 36 minutes (12x3 minute segments)
Level 2: 48 minutes (12x4 minute segments)
Level 3: 60 minutes (12x5 minute segments)
Level 4: 72 minutes (12x6 minute segments)

We will discuss a route for today's run at the start of practice. 9th graders: I know the 9th grade orientation starts at 8:30, precluding you from attending this practice. I'll send directions to you via e-mail regarding what to do instead.

• Thu 9/1 - Practice 3:30 PM at the High School. Warmup followed by a short, easy active recovery run, with a series of hill drills (8x each, hill springing and high knee running) in the corner of the practice field area. Level 1 and 2 runners will do this after the warmup and before the run itself, Level 3 and 4 runners will do it after their run. We also hope to have multiple elliptigo bikes available for use.

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-32 minutes
Level 4: 38-42 minutes

• Fri 9/2 - Practice 3:30 PM at the High School. Warmup including BURPEES and then a short, easy active recovery run. We will be doing a series of bounding run throughs over cones and a few short intense sprints as well.

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-32 minutes
Level 4: 38-42 minutes

• Sat 9/3 - Western Mass. day trip (assuming sufficient interest). For those not coming along for the Western Mass. day trip, either:

- a cross training workout of 30 minutes to an hour plus (depending on what the activity is)

- a run of 25-45 minutes with the last 5-10 minutes being run at about a 75-80% effort. Up to that point, take it easy.

Regardless of which workout you choose to do, please remember to do the warmup routine beforehand and SAM afterward. The specifics on these can be found in the "Training Links" sidebar of the team website.

Sun 9/4 - off

Week 1 Training Plan, 8/22-8/28

Welcome to the 2022 season! This is the first post outlining the scheduled training for the upcoming week. Each weekly training plan begins on Monday and covers up to the following Sunday. Typically the plan will be published by the previous Sunday evening, but certainly no later than lunchtime Monday. 

Remember that while the plan is a good outline of what we will most likely be doing, there are sometimes unforeseen factors (mainly weather) that can change things. When this happens we'll do our best to get the word out quickly. In addition, note that there's a wide variation in the length of each day's run among the different levels. This is because we have a diverse group of athletes on the team with a wide range of experience and incoming fitness levels. If you have any questions about how far or how hard to go on a particular day don't hesitate to ask one of the coaches. 

Because this is the first week of the season, there's a lot to go over here besides the actual workouts which are listed below. For the rest of the season, this "preamble" section of the weekly training plan will be much shorter, I promise.

You should bring the following items with you to practice:

• running shoes

• comfortable clothes in which to work out. You might also want to wear a hat. 

• running watch, either your own the one you borrowed from the team supply. If you don't have a watch one will be assigned to you from the team supply.

• sunscreen

• water bottle - Very important item, should hold 32-48 ounces (1-1.5L). Please bring a water bottle which you can use during breaks in practice and after practice has ended. Bring your water bottle already filled.

• towel for drying off after aquajogging (Thursday through Saturday)

Week 1 of official practice is also week 11 of the summer training period I outlined in the summer training guidelines. The training pattern for the week reflects this fact. There are six runs total, three shorter length efforts, two medium length days (one of them with timed pickups), and one long run. If you haven't been training much or at all over the summer, start at Level 1. We'll also employ cross training options, open to anyone, that can be done as a supplement or in place of running as need be. These include the elliptical bikes, aquajogging in the lake, or riding your own bike if you have one and can bring it to practice. If you haven't been running consistently over the summer, it's best to avoid jumping right into 5 or 6 days of running per week. Cross training is the best way to accomplish this.

Practice this week will be held either at WHS or at the Town Beach which is located at 25 Parkland Drive. The meeting point at the high school is under the large trees next to the field house, on the southwest side of the field house. The plan is to meet at the high school Monday through Wednesday, then at the Town Beach Thursday through Saturday. The time of the weekday practices this week is determined by the forecast heat index. The default time is 3:30 PM. If the predicted weather warrants it we'll go at 6:45 AM. Based on the upcoming week's forecast, we're planning on holding practice in the afternoon Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday through Friday, practice will be at 6:45. Saturday's practice is at 8:30 AM.

Please hold off on handing in your summer training log (optional for new athletes, required for returning athletes) until the end of this week. Rewards will be distributed once the coaching staff has tabulated all the logs, hopefully no later than next Tuesday September 6th.

With all that out of the way, here's the plan:

• Mon 8/22 - Practice at WHS @3:30 PM. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a medium length run broken down as follows:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes
Level 2: 34-38 minutes
Level 3: 43-47 minutes
Level 4: 52-56 minutes

Ideally the pace will pick up gradually towards the end of the running portion of the day. 

• Tue 8/23 - Practice at WHS @3:30 PM. Warmup followed by a short length run that will incorporate hill drills (springing AKA bounding for height and high knee running). For those that have been on the team in the past, you'll notice that the hill drills have been streamlined and moved on to grass this year. 

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-35 minutes
Level 4: 38-45 minutes

• Wed 8/24 - Practice at WHS @6:45 AM. Warmup including BURPEES followed by a medium length run that will incorporate timed pickups of 1 minute in length, at a "race pace" (90%) effort. In between the race pace pickups is a recovery of 1 minute, ideally run at a 50-60% effort (this is easy but not a slow jog). Level 1 athletes may find it more realistic to walk the first 30 seconds of each recovery interval. Everyone will begin and end their run today with a warmup and cooldown that are at an easy pace, with the timed pickups sandwiched in between. Time for today's run is as follows, with number of pickups indicated as well:

Level 1: 22-26 minutes, 6-8x 1 minute pickups (warmup and cooldown 5-6 minutes each)
Level 2: 34-38 minutes, 8-10x 1 minute pickups (warmup and cooldown 8-10 minutes each)
Level 3: 43-47 minutes, 8-10x 1 minute pickups (warmup and cooldown 10-12 minutes each)
Level 4: 52-56 minutes, 10x 1 minute pickups (warmup and cooldown 16-18 minutes each)

• Thu 8/25 - Practice at Town Beach @6:45 AM. Warmup on nearby softball field followed by a short run. Most if not all of the run should be done at an effort level of "easy," perhaps progressing to moderate ("fresh") in the last quarter of the run if you feel up to it. If you like you can do up to half of the length of the run in the lake in the form of aquajogging, but no one is required to do so. Do not get in the water without a coach present on the dock.

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-35 minutes
Level 4: 38-45 minutes

• Fri 8/26 - Practice at Town Beach @6:45 AM. Warmup including BURPEES and then a short easy run followed by run throughs (accelerations) on the nearby softball field. The run throughs are short accelerations building up to 95% or so of maximum speed. If you like you can do up to half of the length of the run in the lake in the form of aquajogging, but no one is required to do so. Do not get in the water without a coach present on the dock.

Level 1: 18-20 minutes
Level 2: 22-26 minutes
Level 3: 28-35 minutes
Level 4: 38-45 minutes

• Sat 8/27 Practice at Town Beach @8:30 AM. Warmup on nearby softball field, then a progressive long run (PLR) as follows:

Level 1: 36 minutes (12 minutes easy - 9 minutes fresh - 9 minutes good - 6 minutes easy)
Level 2: 48 minutes (16 minutes easy - 12 minutes fresh - 12 minutes good - 8 minutes easy)
Level 3: 60 minutes (20 minutes easy - 15 minutes fresh - 15 minutes good - 10 minutes easy)
Level 4: 72 minutes (24 minutes easy - 18 minutes fresh - 18 minutes good - 12 minutes easy)

Today's run will be an out and back mostly along the Hultman aqueduct, which can be accessed where it crosses either Sycamore road or Cochituate Road. There will be at least two water stops during the run. If you like, the final segment of the run can be done in the lake in the form of aquajogging but this isn't a requirement.

Sun 8/28 - off (no running), if you like you're welcome to go for a bike ride or hike on your own. 

Preseason Interest Meeting Links

 

Agendas from the preseason interest meetings (both for returning athletes and rising 9th graders)

Important Links Referenced at the meeting:

WHS Athletics Registration

Summer Training Guidelines

Summer Training Spreadsheet - Note that the suggested 11 week summer training block begins the week of June 13-19. If you're still participating in spring sports during this time wait until the sport is over before starting any summer training. Also, the final week of the summer training is August 22-28. This is the first week of practice but we consider it part of the summer block as well. 

Generic Training log format - Suggested for keeping track of your summer training. Using this format makes it easier for the coaches to tabulate when the season starts. MAKE A COPY of this and include your name in the title of the copy before filling it out (under "File" menu select "Make a copy"). 

Other Relevant Links:

Training in the heat

Aquajogging - Alternative to running on land, a good way to get a workout without extra pounding on the joints. As an added bonus you can do this on the hottest days while staying cool. Highly recommended if you're comfortable in the water. 

Elliptigo links:

Rules for riding the Elliptigo

Elliptigo quiz

Quiz answer key

MIAA All-State Division 2 Results, 11/20/21

The 2021 season ended today for the WHS Cross Country program in fine style at the Wrentham Developmental Center. The 9th grade duo of Luke Chisum and Owen Williams represented the team at the highest level for the sport in the state. Despite some slick spots underfoot, the course was by and large smooth and running quite fast. This fact combined with a field of almost 200 athletes who had all qualified to be in the Division 2 race meant the early pace was screamingly fast. Chisum and Williams hung back in the crowd early on passing the mile mark in about 5:35, somewhere in the back half of the field. Soon enough they were working their way past athletes who had bitten off more than they could chew. Hitting the second mile in 11:12 and running close to even splits for the first two miles had them near the top half of the field. The trend continued for an exciting final mile of the course as they continued picking off people ahead of them until the finish where Chisum wound up 76th and Williams a second behind him in 80th. 

Today was the third time the two had raced on the Wrentham layout but the first time racing the 5k distance, as previous visits had been on the shorter 3k course. Their times put them emphatically in the sub-18 minute club and well positioned among the top 10 WHS athletes to have raced the course since it was established in 2010. They were also the 4th and 6th fastest 9th graders in the Division 2 race, and 9th and 11th out of all 9th graders in all three divisions that raced on the course today. 

Note in the results linked below that the 3k split time was recorded for most of the runners, as they passed by the finish line and its timing mat at this point in the race. This split offers a glimpse into how the final stages of the race unfolded, i.e. who moved up and who fell back in the field. Luke Chisum passed 35 people in the last 2k (1.2 miles) of the race, and Williams did something similar as they were side by side pretty much the entire time. 

Results

All-time performance list for Wrentham Developmental Center

This will be the final entry for the 2021 campaign; many thanks to all those who made it a worthwhile, edifying and memorable one. Stay tuned for a preseason interest meeting, coming sometime in June 2022. Anyone who brings a friend to the meeting that's new to the team gets to pick something from the prize bag.

Awards Night and Varsity Lists

This coming Wednesday November 17th there will be an end of season celebration held in the Commons at 6:30. We'll recognize the recipients of team-specific awards including Most Improved, Rookie of the Year, and MVP. There are also Coaches' Awards and Booster Awards that will be given out. Varsity letters/pins will be distributed as well as JV certificates. Plus we'll be having the always popular dagashi prize bag blowout, a highlight of this event. There will also be chocolate milk available to whomever wants it (there was some left over at the end of the season). We hope to be done by 7:30. 

Please note that unlike past editions of this event, there will be no food for consumption at the event itself (sigh). Save the prize bag snacks and chocolate milk to have later. In addition, all parents must fill out an attestation form in order to be allowed in the building. This form has been sent out to the mailing list. Spare copies to fill out will be available at the event as well.

While on the subject of recognition, the athletes listed below have earned varsity status for this season. An explanation of what it takes to make varsity in what is a no-cut sport can be found on page six of the team policies and FAQ document which can be found under the "Useful Links" sidebar on the right of this page.

Girls:

Nadia Calder

Emily Grieco

Hannah Han

June Kim

Grace Marto

Madeline O'Leary

Ashley Rice

Arya Samaratunga

Bella Thoen

Boys:

Luke Chisum

Thomas Creavin

Tully Jay

William Morris

Daniel Narvaez

Kyle Reece

Lucas Thompson

Michael Wightman

Owen Williams

MIAA Division 2B Championship Results - 11/13/21

Championship season reached new heights today for WHS cross country athletes. A new format for the MIAA Cross Country Tournament meant a new site to visit for the first round, with the Division 2 schools racing at the Gardner Municipal Golf Course. On a soggy, undulating sinuous layout it was important to not get sucked out too quickly in the early stages. Not all 5k courses are created equal and this one offered unique challenges. 

The boys raced first and leading the way were the 9th grade dynamic duo of Luke Chisum and Owen Williams led the way finishing 20th and 21st. They were followed by Thomas Creavin, Daniel Narvaez and William Morris rounding out the scoring five and Michael Wightman and Kyle Reece completing the Wayland top seven. When the results were compiled two somewhat remarkable things became clear:

• Chisum and Williams (the top two 9th graders in the race) qualified as wildcard individuals for next week's second and final round of the tournament, the Divsional State Championships. The qualifying criteria are laid out on page 4 of this document. No WHS athlete has qualified for the second round of the tournament since 2016 (Graham Macklin and Sarah Tully). No WHS 9th grader has qualified since Tully in 2013. 
• The boys team finished 8th, narrowly missing the final qualifying spot. Note that Wayland is the only team in the top 10 that has no 12th graders anywhere in its top seven. Only Ludlow in 7th can claim no 12th graders in their scoring top five. Also, just 13 points separated 7th and 11th place indicating how tightly contested these spots were. This meet promises to be quite competitive next year. 

Next up were the girls who wrapped up their season with a 19th place finish which is impressive considering that four of the seven who toed the line are in their first year on the team. Two of those rookie athletes, Arya Samaratunga and Bella Thoen, led the way for the team with both of them running well in the latter stages. June Kim was next finisher for Wayland, finishing her WHS career. She was followed by Ashley Rice with Grace Marto rounding out the scoring five. Madeline O'Leary finished her first season as Wayland's sixth runner and senior Nadia Calder, while unable to finish, gave it her best effort as she always does. 

The 2021 campaign has wrapped up except for Chisum and Williams who will be racing next Saturday at Wrentham Developmental Center. If there's sufficient interest in watching them race we'll look into taking one of the booster buses, let me know. 

meet results

WHS splits

Team results and top individuals at MIAA tournament since late '90s

MIAA Division 2B Championship, 11/13/21

 Meet Site:

Gardner Municipal Golf Course. The clubhouse is on Eaton Street, but the start/finish area is around the corner on Green Street. According to the map below parking areas are at the corner of Eaton and Green Streets.

Bus time 9 AM

Please arrive a few minutes early so we can get on the road in good time. 

Race Schedule and Entries:

Boys Race 11:30
Girls Race 12:15           

 Meet Information:

• Weather forecast: Cloudy with a slight chance of rain showers, temperature in the low 50s with E winds 5-10 mph. An up to date forecast for Gardner can be seen here. It will have rained on the course the day before, the ground will be soft underfoot. Dress appropriately including layers to wear when you're either waiting for your race or after having completed your cool down.  
• Report to the starting line 10 minutes before your race is scheduled to start; keep your sweats on until the meet officials at the starting line tell you to remove them. Warmups will be placed in the laundry basket which will then be brought to the tent.
• Numbers will be assigned to you specifically for this meet; these numbers have an RFID chip attached to the back which interacts with a conductive mat at the finish line to record your time. The meet director has asked that athletes who aren't racing NOT wear their bib number if standing near the finish line; doing so can cause a false reading by the finish line mat. Also, don't crumple or fold your bib number. Finally, don't press the stop button on your wristwatch as you cross the finish line, since doing so might interfere with the RFID chip and your hand and wrist will obscure your bib number from view by the backup camera.
• Stay off the tees and greens of the golf course while warming up. Stay out of the sand traps as well.

Course Map (click to enlarge):

 

• link to course map online that can be zoomed in and out if you like

• The course consists of two loops around the golf course from the starting line, with an extra 400 yards at the end from the starting line to the finish line. The course can best be described as "rolling." How rolling is in the eye of the beholder. There are also multiple turns on the course. It's important to preview the course by walk/jogging the loop well ahead of your race. Since the course covers the same loop twice you don't have to cover the entire 5k to see it all.
 

• the course is entirely on grass, spikes should be worn (1/4" or 3/8").

 
• Medals will be awarded to the top 15 finishers.  

• Qualification for next week's Divisional State Meet at Wrentham is covered on page 4 of this document. Since the format of the MIAA Cross Country Tournament has changed dramatically this year I wrote a document comparing the old system to the new system. The other teams in Division 2B are listed on page 2 of this document.

What to Bring:

• Uniform, including both jersey and shorts
• spare change of clothes so you can return your uniform when we return to WHS
• Everyday training shoes
• Racing shoes if you have them
• Multiple layers of clothing including clothes to wear while warming up and cooling down, in addition to dry warm clothes for after your race.

• lunch for after your race

• a bag to put wet clothes in
• Water bottle (filled)
• Snacks for post-race (chocolate milk will be provided using proceeds from the Wayland XC Festival)
• Folding chair
• Blanket (optional)

For Parents:

• A parking fee will no doubt be collected, I have no idea what it is. The fan parking area will no doubt be a complete mess, especially with the rainy forecast for Friday and possibly Saturday morning. In the past when visiting this course I've been able to park for free in the Mt. Wachusett CC parking lots across the street from the golf course. These can be accessed by taking a left on Matthews Street off route 140. See google maps for what I'm talking about.
• We hope to return to WHS around or a little after 2:30 PM.
• Dogs aren't allowed on or near the course, best to leave them home.
• Snacks are welcome, but due to allergy concerns the Athletic Director has asked that any snacks be individually wrapped and ideally have the ingredients written on the label.